English
Related papers

Related papers: Markets are competitive if and only if P != NP

200 papers

We develop a model of algorithmic pricing that shuts down every channel for explicit or implicit collusion while still generating collusive outcomes. We analyze the dynamics of a duopoly market where both firms use pricing algorithms…

Theoretical Economics · Economics 2024-03-13 Inkoo Cho , Noah Williams

This paper develops a formal framework to assess policies of learning algorithms in economic games. We investigate whether reinforcement-learning agents with collusive pricing policies can successfully extrapolate collusive behavior from…

General Economics · Economics 2022-01-06 Nicolas Eschenbaum , Filip Mellgren , Philipp Zahn

In the rapidly evolving landscape of eCommerce, Artificial Intelligence (AI) based pricing algorithms, particularly those utilizing Reinforcement Learning (RL), are becoming increasingly prevalent. This rise has led to an inextricable…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2024-06-06 Michael Schlechtinger , Damaris Kosack , Franz Krause , Heiko Paulheim

In today's dynamic and interconnected world, resource constraints pose significant challenges across various domains, ranging from networks, logistics and manufacturing to project management and optimization, etc. Resource-constrained…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2023-11-09 Shiksha Singhal

Advances in computational optimization allow for the organization of large combinatorial markets. We aim for allocations and competitive equilibrium prices, i.e. outcomes that are in the core. The research is motivated by the design of…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2018-07-24 Martin Bichler , Stefan Waldherr

In a market system, regulations are designed to prevent or rectify market failures that inhibit fair exchange, such as monopoly or transactions with hidden costs. Because regulations reduce profits to those possessing unfair advantage,…

General Finance · Quantitative Finance 2013-10-02 Dominic K. Albino , Anzi Hu , Yaneer Bar-Yam

Market efficiency at least requires the absence of weak arbitrage opportunities, but this is not sufficient to establish a situation where the market is sensitive, i.e., where it "fully reflects" or "rapidly adjusts to" some information…

General Finance · Quantitative Finance 2026-02-25 Gabriel Frahm

We propose a fresh `meta-game' perspective on the problem of algorithmic collusion in pricing games a la Bertrand. Economists have interpreted the fact that algorithms can learn to price collusively as tacit collusion. We argue instead that…

Theoretical Economics · Economics 2025-12-16 Cesare Carissimo , Fryderyk Falniowski , Siavash Rahimi , Heinrich Nax

With a novel search algorithm or assortment planning or assortment optimization algorithm that takes into account a Bayesian approach to information updating and two-stage assortment optimization techniques, the current research provides a…

Theoretical Economics · Economics 2023-07-19 Dipankar Das

Matching markets are of particular interest in computer science and economics literature as they are often used to model real-world phenomena where we aim to equitably distribute a limited amount of resources to multiple agents and…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2021-10-01 Andrew Yang , Bruce Changlong Xu , Ivan Villa-Renteria

Although both data availability and the demand for accurate forecasts are increasing, collaboration between stakeholders is often constrained by data ownership and competitive interests. In contrast to recent proposals within cooperative…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2026-05-14 Michael Vitali , Pierre Pinson

Computational complexity is examined using the principle of increasing entropy. To consider computation as a physical process from an initial instance to the final acceptance is motivated because many natural processes have been recognized…

Computational Complexity · Computer Science 2012-03-20 Arto Annila

Studying corruption presents unique challenges. Recent work in the spirit of computational social science exploits newly available data and methods to give a fresh perspective on this important topic. In this chapter we highlight some of…

Physics and Society · Physics 2022-02-04 Isabela Villamil , János Kertész , Johannes Wachs

In speculative markets, risk-free profit opportunities are eliminated by traders exploiting them. Markets are therefore often described as "informationally efficient", rapidly removing predictable price changes, and leaving only residual…

Trading and Market Microstructure · Quantitative Finance 2013-10-08 Felix Patzelt , Klaus R. Pawelzik

We introduce a mathematical theory called market connectivity that gives concrete ways to both measure the efficiency of markets and find inefficiencies in large markets. The theory leads to new methods for testing the famous efficient…

Economics · Quantitative Finance 2017-02-14 Anup Rao

We introduce the notion of performative power, which measures the ability of a firm operating an algorithmic system, such as a digital content recommendation platform, to cause change in a population of participants. We relate performative…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2022-11-04 Moritz Hardt , Meena Jagadeesan , Celestine Mendler-Dünner

We propose to study market efficiency from a computational viewpoint. Borrowing from theoretical computer science, we define a market to be \emph{efficient with respect to resources $S$} (e.g., time, memory) if no strategy using resources…

Computational Engineering, Finance, and Science · Computer Science 2009-09-01 Jasmina Hasanhodzic , Andrew W. Lo , Emanuele Viola

Persistent economic competition is often justified as a mechanism of innovation, efficiency, and welfare maximization. Yet empirical evidence across disciplines reveals that competition systematically generates fragility, inequality, and…

Theoretical Economics · Economics 2025-06-16 Marcelo S. Tedesco , Gonzalo Marquez

As with other commodities, markets could help us efficiently produce machine intelligence. We propose a market where intelligence is priced by other intelligence systems peer-to-peer across the internet. Peers rank each other by training…

Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science 2021-11-11 Yuma Rao , Jacob Steeves , Ala Shaabana , Daniel Attevelt , Matthew McAteer

The rise of algorithmic pricing in online retail platforms has attracted significant interest in how autonomous software agents interact under competition. This article explores the potential emergence of algorithmic collusion -…

Computer Science and Game Theory · Computer Science 2025-04-24 Martin Bichler , Julius Durmann , Matthias Oberlechner